Chapter Three
"Why do they think that it is Torchwood related?" asked Gwen.
"Something about cause of death," replied Jack.
"Look alien?" asked Gwen.
"Don't know," answered Jack.
"According to the wire the coroner thinks that the cause of death is fire from the inside," submitted Molly.
"What?" asked Gwen and Jack.
"According to the file the body temp is over 120 degrees Celsius, but the victims are in full rigger," explained Molly.
"And that points them to Torchwood?" asked Gwen.
"Strange and unexplainable, that will usually have them throwing the case at us. Which brings me to the question how long have the police been calling you guys to come out?" asked Jack.
"About 5 months. Once Molly had us all up and running they just started calling. More cautiously at first but we are once again in their good graces," replied Gwen.
"Typical," replied Jack.
The team arrived at the location and Gwen looked around, "What is this?"
"It is a privately owned gallery that show cases artifacts discovered by Dr. Thomas Wilson. He also owns the gallery," responded Molly.
"Do we know anything about him?" asked Jack.
"Dr. Thomas Patrick Wilson 63 years old born in Sussex, moved to Cardiff when he was 10. Attended Oxford, has his doctorate in art history. Never married and no living family. Started looking into Welsh history the late 70s and opened the Welsh History Gallery in 1986. Everything in the gallery he and his team have found," answered Ianto from the hub.
"Anything seem unfounded?" asked Gwen.
"Nothing that they have logged," replied Ianto.
"Anything dodgy in his file?" asked Gwen as the three approached the first body.
"No. He's clean," responded Ianto.
Jack and Gwen examined the surroundings while Molly took readings on the bodies.
"Jack come take a look at this," called out Molly.
"What?"
"On both bodies there are two sets of three prong marks on both sides of the neck. I found rift activity remnants on both bodies as well. This is defiantly something Torchwood related. The body temps are still over 100 degrees Celsius."
"Jack," called Gwen from across the room.
"Okay," Jack replied to Molly before turning to Gwen, "What?"
"I don't think that anything is missing. The place has certainly been trashed and they were certainly looking for something but I don't think they found it."
"Okay see if security has any photos or film. Ianto check and see if anything was caught on CC TV. We are heading back."
Back at the Hub 3 the team separated to their respective spots. Gwen went looking over the evidence, Molly was doing the autopsies, Ianto was looking over CC footage and Jack, well Jack wasn't really doing anything.
"Do you need any help?" Jacked asked Ianto as he wheeled a chair up to him.
"No."
"You should be resting."
"I'm fine."
"I'm sorry."
"Stop the presses Captain Jack Harkness is apologizing. What for?"
"You name it I am sorry."
"Jack…"
"You wanted to take to me earlier, what about?"
"Its…"
"Just tell me Ianto."
Turning away from the computer screen Ianto took up a position on the opposite side of the room, "Why did you never say anything about death?"
"What do you mean?"
"That it's nothing. It's absolutely nothing and it's scary."
Jack looked at Ianto and realized something. The playfulness, the boyish antics were gone. In death Ianto had changed and Jack wanted desperately to change him back. He wanted the innocence back Ianto's eyes that had always remand there despite what was going around him. Death, the emptiness of it had taken it away. "What would have liked me to say? Do really think that you would have done anything if you had known?"
"I don't know, probably."
"I doubt it."
"You don't know that. You should have told me, me of all people. I never understood how we could be so close but yet so far away."
Jack could only look at Ianto. There were some many things he wanted to say. So much he had to tell him. Instead he walked to where he stood and kissed him.
Moments later, "Is that the only reason you have been so distant?"
Ianto just stared at him.
"Your not going to talk to me now is that it?"
"Perhaps."
Jack looked Ianto waiting for more…
"I don't want to argue with you. I can't. I have only been back for 12 hours."
Putting his hands up in defense Jack turned to leave, "Okay I get it. We will ease back into things."
"Where are you going?"
"To the morgue, I thought I would get started on the autopsies."
"I thought that Molly was doing that?"
Stopping in his tracks Jack said, "Why would she be doing the autopsy."
"She's a doctor."
"What?"
"She never told you."
"No."
Turning around Jack ran up the stairs. Bursting through the door Jack proclaimed, "Molly you're a doctor!"
Looking up briefly Molly returns to her stitching, "Yes."
"That's all you have to say."
"What do you want me to say Jack? It's been a long day."
"Does Gwen no you're a doctor?"
"I don't know, doubtful. I have done all the autopsies since I have been here so maybe."
"How could you not tell anybody?"
"Think that you're the only one with secrets," stated Molly looking up, "I guess I just never thought to mention it. I am finished with the first body you can do the next if you think I'm not competent."
Jack looked at Molly and shook his head, "No continue. I will help Ianto with CC TV footage."
"How's he doing?"
Jack stopped midway through the door and without looking back, "I don't know, but I think fine."
An hour later they were all sitting around the conference table.
"I looked over everything. All the video footage from the gallery is blurry and there is nothing missing from the gallery. There is a ton of rift remnants though. Whatever was there defiantly came through the rift," said Gwen.
"I wasn't able to catch much on the CC TV either. There are cameras near where the gallery is but at the time the alarm sound there seemed to be a glitch in the system. All the videos are fuzzy and hard to read," Ianto said as he put a picture up on the monitors, "I was however able to clean up this shot somewhat. Although it doesn't really help much, our suspect walks like a man and looks a man, but that's all I have got so far. Running facial recognition but I not holding my breath."
"I found out a lot," interrupted Molly giving Ianto a pointed look, "A lot of things I can't explain. However I shall do my best to try. Victim 1 is Kai Martin 23 no family, he had three puncture marks on both sides of the neck. Body temp currently is 95 degrees Celsius, no other signs of trauma. Cause of death boiled alive from the inside. Victim 2 Parker Reed age 45 leaves a wife and son behind. He too had three puncture marks on both sides of his neck. Body temp currently is 94 degrees Celsius with no other signs of trauma. Cause of death boiled alive from the inside. I followed the scorch with a scope, it looks like the blood in the neck and brain boiled first followed the path to the heart were it cooked the heart leading to death. It was painful but more than likely quick. On victim 2 it did seem to take a slower course leading me to believe our suspect can control this and perhaps he was torturing the victim for answers."
"Thanks Molly but we didn't need the visual add," smarted of Jack, "So were are looking for a human alien that can sprout what do we call them prongs apparently looking for some kind of Welch artifact. Hmm… doesn't really seem plausible."
"Which part?" asked Gwen.
"The fact that he wants anything Welch," replied Jack.
Hitting Jack playfully on the arm, "Oui, watch out the Welch have a lot of important things."
"Name one."
"Well…"
"The rift," interrupted Ianto.
"Yes, the rift," agreed Gwen.
"That doesn't count and he wouldn't be looking for it sense he came threw it," answered Jack.
"Jack getting another murder that looks similar to ours at the gallery," interrupted Molly as she pulled up the specifics, "One body and temp was well over normal."
"Where?" asked Jack.
"Dr. Wilson's office at the college," replied Molly.
"Well we should defiantly check it out," answered Jack getting up, "Gwen your with me. Molly take another look at those bodies and Ianto see if you what can from the monitors and maybe clear up that picture more."